Bay Sox top Muskrats; Griffin dreamed of Clemens' Ks

NEW BEDFORD — Gage Griffin was his Little League's answer to Roger Clemens.

BILL ABRAMSON

NEW BEDFORD — Gage Griffin was his Little League's answer to Roger Clemens.

The young left-hander from Moosup, Conn., got the first 17 outs in the six-inning game by strikeouts before the 18th and final out came on a ground ball.

"I was upset at that," he recalled. "I didn't realize what I was doing during the game. The game was going fast and I was running along with it.

"Afterwards, I realized that Roger Clemens had 21 and 19 strikeout games and I was pitching like him. My dad asked me why I couldn't get one more strikeout."

The 19-year-old relief pitcher for the Bay Sox is the lone 0.00 earned-run average among the pitchers. He's appeared in four games and given up four singles in nine innings of work. His Achilles heel so far is control as he has walked seven batters, but hasn't allowed a run.

"I lived in Puerto Rico for two years and became obsessed with baseball while I was there," Griffin said. "We'd play every day until it was dark and when I came back to the United States, that's what I wanted to do."

He hopes to be in uniform after his college days. It may be a baseball uniform or scrubs.

"The dream is to be a major league player, but I'm a health sciences major (at Franklin Pierce University) and I'd like to pursue a career in sports medicine. I could be a team doctor at the college football level or maybe go into pediatrics. I'm not 100 percent sure. I realize that it's a long time in college, but I'm willing to make that commitment."

His hometown in Connecticut can lay claim to one famous major leaguer, the Moosup Moose, Walt Dropo. At 27 years old, Dropo put together a rookie-of-the-year season for the Boston Red Sox in 1950. He batted .322 with 34 home runs and 144 RBIs as a big, power-hitting first baseman.

"There's an old field in town with his name on it, but it's been let go and is a corn field now," Griffin explained. "My best friend's dad watched Dropo play there and his (Dropo's) brother was my father's high school principal."

With the day-to-day overload of baseball in the NECBL, Griffin found a way to spend an off day last week.

"I went to an Acushnet Little League game at Walter White Field to watch my host brother, Jake Gioiosa play," he said. "There was nothing I would rather be doing on an off day than watching him play baseball."

At Franklin Pierce, Griffin had confidence issues.

"I was overthrowing to get the coaches' attention," he said. "That wasn't good."

After struggling for hits most of the season, the Bay Sox bats came to life against Laconia.

Led by Mike Gilbert's three hits and Josh Smith's second home run of the season, New Bedford (3-17) struck for 10 hits and was helped by 12 bases on balls by Laconia pitchers.

Smith's two-run shot in the first inning started a four-run frame where the Bay Sox took a 4-3 lead on Cullen O'Dwyer's single to right and a wild pitch.

After Laconia (8-11) tied the game, the Bay Sox edged ahead with two runs in the fifth inning. Dave Mackinnon and Brad Johnson led off the inning with walks and Gilbert's first hit, a single to left, broke the tie as Mackinnon scored. Johnson came across on a double play to gave New Bedford a 6-4 lead.

The Bay Sox broke things open in the sixth inning, sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring five runs.

Chris LaVorgna singled, took second on a wild pitch and stole third. He scored on Joey Cecere's single and Smith followed with a single. Mackinnon walked and Gilbert singled up the middle to drive home two runs. A walk to O'Dwyer loaded the bases and one run was forced in as Tim Hoehn was hit by a pitch. Chris Travers beat out an infield hit, knocking in the final run of the inning.

In the eighth, Gilbert singled and O'Dwyer walked and both scored.

The Bay Sox have a day off and are scheduled to play in Newport Friday and return home for weekend games against Newport and North Adams on Saturday and Sunday nights. Saturday is Armed Forces Night with free admission to anyone in military uniform and half-price admission for any other active military personnel.

South Coast Serves sponsors Sunday's game and anyone bringing a new pair of socks to donate is admitted free.